Environmental advocates and city leaders looking to boost recycling rates
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- With recycling rates dropping nationwide, Pittsburgh city leaders and environmental groups are offering a new plan to get the city back on track.
Leaders are looking to update Act 101, which was put in place in 1988 to help reduce waste and protect our health and safety.
They plan to distribute more recycling bins, implement a deconstruction policy for condemned buildings, and enact a plastic bag ban that will go into effect next year.
"We need to reduce the shear amount of waste that we are producing, and that means banning certain single use plastics - things like polystyrene take-out containers and plastic bags - that we only use for a few minutes and really we don't need at all," PennEnvironment Deputy Director Ashleigh Deemer said.
They also plan to establish more municipal composting programs in localities.
City officials said they hope the efforts will help meet a zero-waste goal by 2030.